What’s all this historical expeditioneerating about? If you fancy finding out for yourself, hey, you can play the original Expeditions: Conquistador free this weekend.

Conquistador is free to play in full through Steam. It’s on sale too, with a 75% discount bringing it down to £4.49/4,99€/$4.99 for keepsies. (And here is Wot Adam Thought of it.)

As for Viking, developers Logic Arts have confirmed it’ll cost £24.99/29,99€/$29.99 when it hits next week. Here are some words Alec wrote about it last year:

“It’s a relief to play something comparatively buttoned down, that isn’t going to drop dragons or prophecies on me and where individual people and individual political decisions matter. I ‘failed’ a few quests, but the world still turned, just quietly adapting to what I’d done, or not done.

“The turn-based, faintly Jagged Alliancey combat is serviceable too. It feels a bit wooden and bloodless, so don’t go looking for full Viqueen brutality here, but there’s an impressive range of character skills and weapons which mean you’re fighting somewhere between tactical and onslaught. You’ve got your guy who can hook an enemy’s shield away with an axe, a lass with a spear who can stab people from three hexes away, stunning people with shieldblows, multi-shot archers and even a witch who can throw poison in people’s faces.”

Here, have a peek yourself in this gameplay video with the devs roughing up Dumfries. Ayup, to my eyes it looks like Dumfries on any given Friday.

12 Comments

I greatly enjoyed the original, though it stretched limited content too far. I ended up sinking probably 15hr into the ‘prologue’ island, but found upon reaching the mainland I’d basically already done everything worth doing, and the story whilst well written want enough to sustain it further. Stopped at that point. Well worth the low price though.

“vikings” are “hot” right now. This will be competing with Banner Saga only slightly more than For Honor

also, “Raiding or Trading? Vikings were known not only as violent warriors, but savvy tradesfolk.” C’mon blurb writers! Viking is the profession of raiding, if they’re traders then they’re not (at least currently) vikings.

Goodpoints: I’m afraid you’re wrong. A Viking was someone who travelled abroad – who went on an expedition, if you will. The Norse who settled Iceland were also vikings even though there were no former inhabitants at the time. In fact the word “Viking” had two forms: expedition, and the people who participate in one.

‘Víking’ already meant raiding and piracy in Old Norse. ‘Vikingr’ never meant anything but raider. You have to go back to ‘vik’ (cove) to arrive to a “found/using/belonging to the coves” which is borderline neutral.

The Norse were more than raiders – traders, farmers, whathaveyou. But anyone calling himself a vikingr was making clear that he is into violent acquisition… as far back as at least the Third century.

True, plenty of room for more viking games. But high-quality tactical games with a strategic/RP layer are in relatively short supply, and I did enjoy Conquistador for using a setting that’s a bit unusual for videogames (and even a bit taboo!). I personally would have loved something like Expedition: 14th Century Morocco, or something else that was again a bit different. That said, respect to the series regardless. I thought the first one was cool, and I’m looking forward to the new game’s take on viking around.